


Rooftop Robins

by needchocolatenow



Category: DCU Animated, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-18
Updated: 2011-01-18
Packaged: 2017-10-14 21:08:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/153476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/needchocolatenow/pseuds/needchocolatenow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pre-YJ Animated. Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash meeting Robin for the first time. He's not really what they imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rooftop Robins

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the yj_anon_meme.

  


Speedy

He can’t help but make a crack at Robin’s height the first time they meet on top of an unnamed building in Gotham. Robin lets the insult slides off with ease and bows with a flourish, although Batman sends Speedy a not-quite Look. Green Arrow just nudges Speedy in the arm as a slight reprimand.

“Get out of Gotham,” Batman says, his voice low and dangerous.

“Look,” Green Arrow says, lifting his hands up in a placating gesture, but Batman doesn’t seem to be stepping down. “We just need to get one of ours. Once we bag him, we’ll be out of your hair, okay?”

“He’s in Gotham now,” Batman states more than asks and the fact that he isn’t surprised makes Speedy start to believe in the rumor that Batman knows every little detail that happens in Gotham.

Just as Green Arrow’s about to say something, Robin starts and immediately a holomap shows up over his arm. “Uh-oh,” Robin says and Batman’s not even paying attention to Green Arrow or Speedy anymore.

Speedy picks up on it quicker than his partner. “You tagged our guy?”

Robin looks up and smirks. “I guess you live up to your name after all,” he says, and okay, maybe Speedy deserved it for that dig about Robin being short.

“Robin,” Batman calls from where he just magically appeared at the roof’s edge and Robin switches off the holomap with a flick of his wrist. He gives Speedy a mock salute and then he’s swinging through the air and out of view. Batman just glares at them and then he’s off too into the night.

Speedy stands there for a moment and then looks up at Green Arrow. “So?” he asks.

Green Arrow shrugs. “He never said we couldn’t follow,” he says amusement in his voice as he runs a gloved finger over one side of his mustache. He grins and clasps Speedy’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

  


Aqualad

Aqualad’s seen his fair share of humans in the short time that he’s been out of Atlantis. But none is quite like Robin. He’s free and unrestrained in the air and he has the most maddening giggle whenever he thinks he’s being clever or sneaky. He also tends to act on instinct.

Aqualad is far from impressed. He has heard about the Boy Wonder and the picture in his mind is of a calmer youth, taller, and nearly the mirror image of Batman. Robin is hardly a thing like his mentor.

“How old are you?” he asks when Robin giggles again when he drops a bag of marbles _(marbles!)_ that scatter under the feet of the men chasing them. They round a corner and he hears yelling and thumps of bodies as the goons actually manage to trip on them.

“Old enough,” Robin answers with a grin.

What they’re supposed to do is simple; distract the guards while Batman and Aquaman went in to disable the bomb. Now with bullets flying and the places to hide dwindling down to nothing, Aqualad’s thinking maybe their mentors will come out to find them as hostages. Or even worse, dead. Neither are acceptable options.

“We have to get cover. We can’t keep running.”

“Okay,” Robin says just as their pursuers catch up from behind and new ones jump out in front. “Don’t breathe.”

He drops more marbles, but these start to smoke and suddenly everyone is coughing and wheezing. Aqualad’s eyes prickle and he realizes that it’s tear gas mixed with a little something else. Rotten eggs or something equally foul smelling. Robin grabs his arm and they’re vaulting into a nearby stairwell, dropping down to a floor and landing next to a conveniently placed window. Despite his tiny frame, Robin displays an unusual amount of strength and he manages to manhandle Aqualad through the window.

Before he can activate his Water Bearers to act as some kind of foothold, Robin shoots his line, an almost imperceptible sound in the night, and lifts them both up to the roof of the building.

They’re both breathing hard as indiscernible shouts reach their ears, but it seems that their escape upwards hasn’t been noticed.

“We’re as good as trapped up here,” Aqualad says, settling deeper into the shadows. Unlike Robin, he didn’t have a cape as black as night.

Robin just smirks, his cheeks are tinged pink with exertion. “Only if they find us,” he replies and pats his utility belt. “But I’ve got us covered. Just in case.”

Aqualad can’t help but quirk an eyebrow at the cocky expression, but Robin doesn’t elaborate.

“You are,” Aqualad begins, and then furrows his brows as he thinks of something acceptable to say. Reckless. Young. “Different,” he finishes.

“Expected me to be more like Batman?” Robin asks.

He feels a slight twinge of embarrassment, but he nods regardless. Robin doesn’t look offended. Instead, Robin lowers his head so his forehead touches his knees and whispers: “Me too.”

Robin’s just a kid, younger than Aqualad, still in the stages of boyhood. Robin may be the Boy Wonder, partner to the infamous Dark Knight, but he’s still a kid. In the world of superheroes, growing up is tentative.

Aqualad lays a gentle hand on Robin’s shoulder and squeezes. The muscles under his hand tense, but the boy doesn’t move. “I’m glad,” Aqualad says. “That you’re not like him.”

Robin lifts his head and manages a smile. It’s small, unlike the blinding grins that Aqualad had become familiar with over the course of the previous hour, and he finds that this one is genuine and fleeting. Robin doesn’t say anything and Aqualad just gives his shoulder one last squeeze as they wait in silence for their mentors.

  


Kid Flash

It’s not the first time that he’s going to be meeting another superhero, but it’s going to be the first time he’s going to meet someone closer to his own age. He’s heard stories from Flash about Batman’s kid and he’s seen the news articles that show glimpses of the Dark Knight and a brightly dressed kid in tights and a cape. Most of the time, Batman’s obscuring Robin in the pictures and he gets the impression that maybe Batman’s a little protective of Robin. Maybe.

The knots in his stomach tighten and he jogs in place, trying to get his nerves to settle down and instead creates a small vacuum on the roof and Flash gives him a knowing look.

“Nervous?” Flash asks.

“Maybe,” Kid Flash replies.

There’s a not-quite giggle and someone saying, “Don’t be.”

It’s a new voice that he’s never heard before and Kid Flash turns around to find Batman and Robin walking up to them as if they were just strolling through a park at two in the afternoon. But it’s not; they’re on the roof of a creepy Gotham building and it’s eleven at night with nothing but blackness in the skies.

Batman has his eyes narrowed, lips set into a deep frown as he asks Flash why his sidekick is here. Flash answers, bright smile in place, though Kid Flash isn’t really paying attention; he’s staring at Robin.

Robin is the opposite of Batman; he’s smiling and young and not intimidating at the least.

“Wow, you’re puny,” Kid Flash says before he can stop himself. He slaps his hand over his mouth and quickly glances at Batman. Batman’s ignoring him and still talking with Flash, pointing out something complicated on a holomap.

Instead of taking it as an insult, Robin laughs. His voice is high and sort-of girlish. “You’re pretty tiny too,” Robin says with a smirk.

“Yeah, but at least I can run fast,” Kid Flash says and wonders why his verbal diarrhea just isn’t stopping. He doesn’t want to be mean but, his brain seems to be stuck on _Robin’s a kid like me! Insert squeal of joy here!_

Robin smirks. “Yeah?” There’s definitely a challenge in his tone of voice.

Kid Flash is fast, hell, he’s one of the few people in the world that can keep speed with Superman, but Robin’s vaulting over the side of the building in a blink of an eye and Kid Flash can feel the lump in his stomach jumping into his throat as he follows because Robin has no superpowers.

Time slows as Kid Flash passes Robin in his fall. Robin is doing aerial summersaults and for some reason, he thinks that behind the mask Robin has his eyes closed. He reaches out in an attempt to grab Robin before they both became pancakes on the street, but is surprised when a hand closes around his and pulls.

Robin had shot his line while Kid Flash had been panicking and is now swinging them both back up to the roof.

“Oh my God,” he says, heartbeat in his ears and he has Robin’s hand in a death grip. “You’re crazy.”

“Thanks,” Robin says with a smile like nothing particularly exciting just happened.

“If you’re done showing off,” Batman growls, giving Robin a withering stare. The tone is lighter than before, almost like a parent trying to mask their pride in their child and failing. Nonetheless, Robin still looks sheepish and glances over at Kid Flash’s death grip.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Uh, yeah,” Kid Flash manages, keeping a blush in check. “Just warn a guy next time.” He does his best to tell his fingers to stop holding onto Robin’s hand, _he’s a boy and it’s embarrassing_ , and finally lets go.


End file.
